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Cheryl Burke

arts Maturity 7-9

Cheryl Burke is a great dancer.

Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
She dances on a big TV show. She won many shiny trophies. She helps other people learn to dance. She loves to move to the music. Do you like to dance too?

41 words

Cheryl Burke is a famous dancer.

Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg

She was born in San Francisco. She moved to a new name in school. She chose the name Cheryl.

She is on a big TV show. She dances with many stars. She won two big trophies there.

She is the first woman to win. She also won two times in a row. That is very hard to do.

Cheryl also helps teach dance. She is a great pro dancer.

78 words

Cheryl Burke is a professional dancer and TV host.

Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg

She was born in San Francisco. Her mother is Filipina. Her father was Ashkenazi Jewish. Cheryl changed her name in middle school. She is now very famous for dancing.

Most people know her from the show Dancing with the Stars. She joined the show in its second season. She won her first big trophy with Drew Lachey. Then she won again with Emmitt Smith. She was the first woman to win the show. She was also the first pro to win two seasons in a row.

Cheryl has danced with many famous people. She worked with actor Ian Ziering and singer AJ McLean. She even danced with swimmer Ryan Lochte. Some partners had to stop dancing due to injuries. For example, Tom DeLay had fractures in his feet. Ray Lewis had a torn tendon in his foot.

Cheryl does more than just dance on TV. She was a coach on the show Dance Moms. She also made a fitness video. She uses Latin dances to help people stay fit.

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Cheryl Burke is a talented professional dancer, model, and television host.

Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
She is famous for her skill on the ABC show Dancing with the Stars. During her time on the show, she performed for twenty-six seasons. She made history as the first female professional to win the series. She was also the first professional to win two seasons in a row. People love watching her move with such grace and energy. Her many years of dancing have made her a star in the world of entertainment.

Dancing involves many different styles and hard work. On her show, Cheryl performs dances like the Cha-cha-cha, the Tango, and the Samba. She also does the Paso Doble, which is a dramatic dance. To prepare, she works with celebrity partners to learn new moves every week. Sometimes, she even choreographs dances for movies, like the Paso Doble for Toy Story 3. She has even made fitness videos using Latin dances to help people stay active. Her job requires great strength, balance, and practice.

Cheryl's journey began in San Francisco, California. She was born on May 3, 1984, to Stephen Louis Burke and Sherri Burke. Her father was Ashkenazi Jewish and her mother is Filipina. When she was a young student in middle school, she chose to legally change her name to Cheryl. She later attended Menlo-Atherton High School. These early years helped shape the person she is today. Her background is a mix of different cultures and experiences.

Cheryl has worked with many famous people on television. In her second season, she won her first trophy with Drew Lachey. In the third season, she won again with football star Emmitt Smith. She has danced with actors like Ian Ziering and Gilles Marini. Some partners could not finish because of injuries. For example, Tom DeLay had stress fractures in his feet. Another partner, Ray Lewis, had a torn tendon in his foot. Despite these hard moments, Cheryl kept dancing with new partners.

Her career shows how dance can connect people. She has been a coach on the show Dance Moms. She also competed on the show I Can Do That in 2015. Whether she is a coach, a dancer, or a judge, she stays busy. Even after retiring as a pro dancer, she returned as a guest judge. Her life is full of movement, music, and many different stages. She shows us how much joy and skill can come from mastering a craft.

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Cheryl Stephanie Burke is a prominent American professional dancer, model, and television host.

Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
She is most recognized for her extensive career on the ABC competition series, Dancing with the Stars. During her tenure, she competed for twenty-six seasons. Burke achieved significant milestones in the show's history. She became the first female professional to win the series. Additionally, she was the first professional to win two consecutive championships. Her career spans various roles, including dancing, coaching, and hosting.

Professional ballroom dancing requires mastery of diverse technical styles and intense physical training. Burke performs a wide array of dances, including the Cha-cha-cha, the Quickstep, and the Jive. She also executes more dramatic styles such as the Tango, the Paso Doble, and the Samba. In her role on Dancing with the Stars, she must train celebrity partners to execute these complex movements. Her expertise extends to choreography, such as her work on the Paso Doble for the film Toy Story 3. She also co-instructed fitness videos centered on Latin dances with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Burke's competitive history is marked by both high scores and various placements. In her second season, she won her first mirror ball trophy with partner Drew Lachey. She secured a second consecutive championship in season three with Emmitt Smith. Throughout the seasons, she achieved several high rankings. She placed second with Rob Kardashian in season thirteen. She also finished as a runner-up with Gilles Marini in season eight. In season thirty, she reached the finals again with partner Cody Rigsby, placing third.

Her career has faced challenges due to the physical demands placed on her partners. In season nine, Tom DeLay and Burke had to withdraw because DeLay suffered stress fractures in both feet. During season twenty-eight, Burke and Ray Lewis also withdrew from the competition. This occurred after Lewis suffered a torn tendon in his foot during the third week. Despite these interruptions, Burke has maintained a consistent presence on the program. She often returns to the show after taking breaks to pursue other professional projects.

Burke's personal background is a blend of different cultural heritages. She was born on May 3, 1984, in San Francisco, California. Her father, Stephen Louis Burke, was Ashkenazi Jewish. Her mother, Sherri Burke, is Filipina. Following her parents' divorce when she was an infant, her father eventually moved to Thailand. Her mother later established a healthcare company. During middle school, Burke legally changed her name to Cheryl to move past experiences with bullying. She later attended Menlo-Atherton High School.

Beyond the ballroom, Burke has expanded her influence into other television formats. In 2015, she competed on the NBC series I Can Do That, where she finished in second place. She also transitioned into a coaching role on the show Dance Moms. In this capacity, she replaced Abby Lee Miller as the primary dance coach in 2017. These roles demonstrate her ability to apply her technical dance knowledge to different instructional and competitive environments.

Burke's impact on the dance community is reflected in her longevity and versatility. She has transitioned from a competitor to a mentor and even a guest judge. On October 28, 2025, she returned to Dancing with the Stars as a guest judge for Halloween Night. Her career illustrates the connection between physical discipline and entertainment. By mastering various dance forms, she has shaped the landscape of professional ballroom television for over two decades.

566 words
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File:Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
Cheryl Burke 2009.jpg
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